A fitted knee brace can greatly reduce the discomfort of a knee injury. Not all knee injuries are the same, however, therefore there are different braces for different injuries. Your doctor will know the best brace for your specific injury. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, some of the various braces include prophylactic, functional and patellofemoral. Prophylactic Knee Braces The prophylactic knee brace is intended to protect the medial collateral ligament, or MCL, during a valgus knee stress and to aid in the protection of the cruciate ligaments if the knee suffers a rotational stress. The MCL is...